“Phil had an idea for a something that counted the lengths a swimmer did. We played around with the idea and it went from there.

“We have learned so much stuff since then – everyone has to do a bit of everything. One day it’s numbers, the next it can be marketing or building websites.”

Swimtag allows pool operators to see who is swimming, when, how often, and how much value members gain from its health club. It allows swimmers to track their own performance and follow training plans as well as engage with other swimmers through challenges, competitions and social networking.

Recalling how the firm’s initial requests for investment were turned down, Kieran added: “You have to take so many ‘no’s’ on the chin and keep going and going and going. When you finally have the kit and people are using it, it makes it all worthwhile.

“Now we are working with UK Trade & Investment about how we export Swimtag. We’re excited about the international side of things.”